What songs do you think are perfect for roller rinks?
Asked by
keobooks (
14327
)
December 18th, 2011
This will probably date me, but Kool and the Gang always reminds me of roller skating whenever I hear it. I was just wondering what songs other folk think of when they think of skating rinks.
I know they still have rinks out there, but I kind of doubt they are still playing roller boogie style disco stuff. I also know that they had them back in the 50s before disco even existed! So I thought people of different ages than myself could give me a wider perspective on good music to have for a roller skating themed event.
Observing members:
0
Composing members:
0
12 Answers
This.
They don’t play this stuff at the roller rinks anymore, though. :)
I’d been rollerskating since a young kid in the late 70’s up through the mid 80’s. There was always a combo couple of hours before midnight when the rink closed and they open up the middle of the floor for dancers and everyone could keep skating. It was a lot of fun.
Speed skating music was likely Cat Scratch Fever or Detroit Rock City.
Couples skates were really sappy, Magnet and Steel, Three Times a Lady or Sailing.
Fun songs your friends would all go crazy on the floor with you were, Fame, Flashlight or Chase Me.
I really believe it was the music of the mid 80’s that killed roller skating. That’s when my friends and I stopped listening to the radio, stopped by stacks of 45’s to dance to during sleepovers. That’s when some of us started “hanging out” which meant bumming around with friends in search of people to buy us liquor, sell us clove cigarettes or drugs.
Hey Nineteen by Steely Dan
They knew their music was being played in roller rinks One line from the song is “Skate a little lower now”
Also, Dire Straits Skateaway
There’s a rollar rink about 40 minutes away and sometimes me and my friends will go for an evening. But here, there’s alot more ice skating and hockey than rollar skating.
Last time we went they played a bunch of pop music and had us do the Soulja Boy.
I like the disco stuff better.
This thread reminds me of this clip from Malcolm in the Middle. I would skate to that. Or this , from the same episode.
@TheIntern55: has it! Yeah, rink rats had two categories for the cool kids, you were either on a speedskating or figure skating team. Everyone else would just buy their own skates to not look like “rentals”.
@Kardamom You just gave me a whole playlist. Thanks!
ROFLLL!!! Before I opened this I was going “KOOL AND THE GANG!!!”
Rick sz Hokey Pokey! Duh!
A lot of roller rink music experience here.
Songs that have a medium beat that you can keep up with, with one roller skate. Also, waltz music is great for roller rinks.
My band played music for many roller rinks in the early 60s. The type music above is what was most requested at that time.
Songs with a fast beat tend to cause skating accidents.
Most of Kardamom’s suggestions are middle of the road songs with a medium beat.
@john65pennington What you said about the medium beat is what leads me to believe that funk and disco beats are very likely to be the best music for skating.
Answer this question 
Composing members:
0
